Isocitrate lyase from a thermophilic Bacillus: effect of salts on enzyme activity

The isocitrate lyase from a thermophilic Bacillus is activated about threefold by a variety of salts. Such strong stimulation of activity is not seen with isocitrate lyase from the mesophiles, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Escherichia coli, and Aspergillus nidulans. The salt activation is markedly pH-dependent. At pH values above 8.6, salt (KCl) indeed inhibits the enzyme activity. Potassium chloride also causes a significant shift of the pH optimum of the enzyme towards the acid side. As the temperature of the enzyme reaction is raised, activation becomes progressively weaker. Potassium chloride also affords considerable protection against enzyme denaturation at 55 C. The activation and the stabilization, however, appear to be independent effects. Of six other enzymes in the thermophile that were examined, isocitrate dehydrogenase was equally strongly activated by KCl and malate synthase was less strongly, but significantly, activated; citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and lactate dehydrogenase were unaffected or slightly inhibited by KCl. The property of being strongly activated by salt appears to be a peculiar characteristic of the thermophile isocitrate lyase and possibly evolved concomitantly with its thermostability.